ABOUT US

We are a community of white people who understand that the structural racism buried in the fabric of our nation was created by us. We believe that our white privilege perpetuates the systemic problem. We take responsibility and stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of color. Our purpose is to raise awareness among white people and create action to dismantle institutional racism and its corresponding white privilege.

This is not a movement that impulsive and momentary outburst of empathy are expressed because of the intensity of a one-time debate. This is a movement about streaming CONSCIOUSNESS.

This is not a movement in which animated discussions about race are whispered in the boss’ office after hours or by the corner water cooler because of a weekend news broadcast. This movement is about cyclic EXPOSURE.

This is not a movement about a fleeting outrage that cast a dim light on injustices within the safety of ones’ curtain drawn home, with like-minded friends, over a glass of wine. This is a movement about self-motivated COURAGE.

It is not the protected approval with an appeasing click of the almighty “like” button and 140 character rebuttals. This is a movement about selfless ACTION.

Action, to disassemble the doctrine of ignorance and foster agents of change against the intrinsic mode of operation of injustice and racism. To bring light to the places in which leadership is needed and service is required. This is the movement that effectively affects one’s world view through the eyes of others.

In order to support and empower our collective humanity, one must first challenge them-self to arise from sleeping. Self-actualization, is a personal evolution. It is one that requires a continuous process of awareness. This is a movement about CHANGE.

It is time for a collective change that does not fear the light of truth; but looks into the darkness with a loud shout and shakes loose the most challenging convictions and stereotypes.

And although the push forward may be unfamiliar territory, we refuse to sleep and rise to a higher level of consciousness.

We are white, we are woke and we speak out because the half of our whole collective is filled with black lives that really do matter.

#WHITEANDWOKE MOVEMENT TO INCLUDE:

Print ad/video campaigns to highlight those citizens who are helping to dismantle structural racism

Toolkits for how white people can take ownership and stand in solidarity with people of color

Research to examine the ethnic makeup of key leadership roles and to analyze organizational policies on diversity, equity and inclusion

THE #WHITEANDWOKE TEAM

We are a community of white people who understand that the structural racism buried in the fabric of our nation was created by us. We believe that our white privilege perpetuates the systemic problem. We take responsibility and stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of color. Our purpose is to raise awareness among white people and create action to dismantle institutional racism and its corresponding white privilege.

It is our pleasure to introduce to you the #WHITEANDWOKE team!

Chevara Orrin

CHIEF CREATIVE CATALYST

Chevara Orrin is an award-winning diversity & inclusion strategist, social entrepreneur, published author, social justice activist, independent filmmaker and public speaker. She is an innovative leader with more than 20 years of experience ranging from senior management in the arts and higher education sectors to consulting with Fortune 500 clients.

As Chief Creative Catalyst for Collective Concepts, she is best known for having conceived and co-created We Are Allies, a national advertising campaign to support equality and move towards passage of inclusive policies to protect the LGBTQ community and #WhiteAndWoke™an initiative to raise awareness about racial inequality and promote equity through intentional action.

Chevara is deeply inspired by the legacy of her parents. She is the daughter of a white Jewish mother, Susanne Jackson, who served as the D.C. coordinator for the 1967 March on the Pentagon in opposition of the Vietnam War and as a lead organizer for the D.C. Center for Emergency Support, which responded for more than a week to the people's crises following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis.

Her father, James Bevel was a fiery top lieutenant of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and a driving force behind many critical civil rights campaigns of the 1960s, including the 1963 Birmingham Children’s Crusade, 1965 Selma to Montgomery March and Voting Rights Act.

Chevara is also a survivor of childhood poverty, incest, teenage pregnancy, and domestic violence. It is because of, not in spite of, her personal journey of tragedy and triumph that she is inspired to use her experiences and voice as a catalyst to ignite social transformation.

Chevara's parents.

Kiley Carter

CO-CREATOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Kiley Carter is the Founder & Creative Director of the Crux Collective, a creative agency located in the Urban Core of Jacksonville. Kiley founded the Crux Collective back in 2014 with the goal of helping to shape Jacksonville’s creative and social scenes by working directly with local talent, non-profits, small businesses and social justice movements. With a passion for politics, social justice & all things creative, Kiley's involvement with the #WHITEANDWOKE movement seemed the natural next step.

Jay Palmer

PHOTOGRAPHER/FILMMAKER

A native of Long Island, New York, Jay Palmer has been an active filmmaker, photographer and musician throughout his life. Jay’s passion for film begain in the early 80’s after being introduced to Stephen Speilberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Since that film, Jay has writen, directed and edited his own work, one of which was accepted and showcased in the NYC Film and Video Festival in 2001. Jay is also a photographer/filmmaker at the Crux Collective.

Bobbie O’Connor

SENIOR ADVISOR

Bobbie O’Connor has almost 50 years of personal and professional experience as a social justice activist. She was born in south Alabama and came of age during the days of George Wallace, Bull Connor, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. From the depths of this struggle emerged a strong voice and a commitment to live a life of service which fosters equality for all. Bobbie uses her voice, her time, her energy and life’s blood to meet this commitment – one step at a time.

Hope McMath

SENIOR ADVISOR

Hope McMath is a cultural leader, educator, artist, and activist whose knowledge of, and passion for, the arts is matched by a strong commitment to social justice and generating positive change in organizations and the community. She connects the arts to community needs including education, accessibility, the environment, wellness, and inclusion and diversity.

Her commitment to using the arts to lift up conversations around education, race, equity, and universal human rights has been recognized with the OneJax Humanitarian Award (2016), the EVE Award (2012), a Cultural Icon Award from the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville (2016), the Frances Kinne Alumni of Distinction Community Service Award (2017), and the Educational Service Award from the Atlantic Institute (2017).

Whether through her work as a cultural leader, an artist, or a community activist, she consistently deploys the visual and performing arts to amplify the experiences of others and mobilize communities around human rights.

Now that you've met the team, join us as we continue to wake up, show up and take action. We are #WHITEANDWOKE.